Additional information
by Deani Van Pelt (Editor), Elizabeth Millar (Editor), Sally Elton-Chalcraft (Editor)
Awakening the Whole Child offers a refreshing and transformative perspective on education. Drawing on the timeless principles of pioneering educator Charlotte Mason (1842-1923), this book reimagines education for today and tomorrow, inspiring connection, curiosity, and the flourishing of the whole child.
With contributions from authors across the globe, this book offers a critical examination of Mason's relational philosophy, highlighting its relevance to contemporary debates and addressing key issues such as multicultural and critical perspectives, meritocracy and segregation, academic freedom, parental or carer involvement, and state control. Mason's approach emphasises the child's relationship with self, others, the environment, the universe, and the transcendent, making her ideas relevant to both religious and secular worldviews. Packed with practical wisdom and theoretical insights, this book broadens the conversation by engaging with ecological, societal, psychological, and philosophical perspectives, tackling urgent questions about the purpose of education often overlooked in today's standardised systems.
Designed for educators, researchers, and anyone seeking to reimagine education, Awakening the Whole Child invites readers to critically engage with Mason's philosophy and rethink education for the betterment of individuals and society.
Author Biography
Deani Van Pelt is a Canadian education scholar and leader. Editor of the Charlotte Mason Centenary Series, she chairs the Charlotte Mason Institute and is a visiting research fellow at the University of Cumbria, UK. She led the digitisation of the Armitt Museum's Mason Collection and now directs Edvance while serving as a senior fellow at Cardus and the Fraser Institute.
Elizabeth Millar is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Canadian Institute for Empirical Church Research, Storyteller for Vision Ministries Canada, and Academic Mentor at Northwest Seminary. As a Charlotte Mason educator for 20 years, she has witnessed the life-giving nature of a Mason philosophy of education.
Sally Elton-Chalcraft is Professor at the University of Cumbria, UK and publishes in the areas of Religious Education, decoloniality in India and the UK, and Charlotte Mason Studies. She is the editor of Religious Education and Teacher Education textbooks and has given keynote lectures in India, Germany, Ireland, and the UK. She is passionate about dismantling injustices in education.
